Sweet Surrender
by Yamchas Big Pants
Summary: When Gourry gets a chill, it's up to Lina to look out for HIM for a change!


Lina placed her wet cloak down on the grating over the fireplace. The room they had rented for the night was pretty small, but it served to amplify the cozy warm firelight. Lina sat down beside the fire, she was soaked through and her hair felt like a doormat, fuzzy and tangled on her head. She began to grumble as she roughly   
ran her fingers through it, causing her eyes to sting. Behind her a sneeze emanated.   
  
Gourry leant against the door, his energy gone. Feeling that he would snap if he tried to crouch to his knees the way Lina was, he hung there shivering and sore. His hair too was soaked straight through to his scalp and chilled him to his very centre, but unlike his female companion, he didn't have the strength to muster to bother with his blonde fuzz.  
  
Lina turned and through the quietness, only disturbed by the crackling of the embers and Gourry's constant heavy trembling breathing, frowned.  
  
"Well? Aren't you going to come and dry off?" She asked slightly muddled by his sudden dull and downcast demeanour. He simply nodded, partially hearing her words, hugging himself close and rocking ever so gently backwards and forwards.   
  
Slightly more tenderly, Lina got to her feet and carefully approached him. There was something not right "Are you okay Gourry?" Again he gave a her a tired nod. Not believing it for a second, Lina reached up and placed her warm hand on his forehead. It was damp and frighteningly cold. He grimaced slightly, through his haze of delusion and sharply drew in breath at the burning palm on his head.  
  
"Gourry, you don't look well..." Lina searched his dull eyes, which usually sparkled, lively in innocence. Sighing she pushed the limp wet hair from her own features. "Come on we need to get you warmed up" But she feared it was too late for that, he had the flu for certain, either that or a really bad chill.   
  
So putting an arm over her shoulder and round her neck, she led him towards the dancing amber flames. He was too stiff to try and manuver into a sitting position with all his armour and padding on. So standing him straight, Lina strained to reach over his head.  
  
Gourry felt as though someone had sent a chill through him, shattering all his bones to dust as they did so. Even the slight draught Lina caused as she buzzed about him was enough to change his body temperature from feverish to shivers of illness. His neck felt so stiff it might snap off. He shouldn't have insisted on walking to the next tavern. They only had one room and one bed left, and Gourry was not going to let Lina sleep on a cold floor in the middle of the winter rains. At least this place had a queen size bed left, even if it was still one room. A fit of coughing took hold of his lungs and rattled his ribcage bringing him to his knees, pitifully. He could feel Lina's sturdy but small arms around his waist trying to steady him as he hacked away at his throat and lungs, dragging one breath after another. He heard her voice piercing through his bone wracking splutters. At least it was better if he got ill rather than her. He just felt bad now because she'd feel she'd have to look after him.  
  
"Okay, first thing in the morning, we get you to a doctor" She said quietly, a sudden mothering care evident. Taking the opportunity, she lifted his heavy shoulder pads from their position. Almost falling over from the strain, she stared amazed at the waning swordsman whose shoulders slumped from the sudden weightlessness. They were incredibly heavy, far heavy than any of her armour was. How did he move in that tin suit? Then, unclipping his breast-plate from being strapped to his shoulders, it fell forward clunking on the oaken wooden floor. It all weighed a ton! Finally loosening the plates which protected his thighs, he sat there in his sodden trousers and thick woollen turtle neck. He was so vulnerable looking, there in the dim silence of the fire. For once he wasn't quite the big dumb oaf who constantly pestered her with his denseness, he was crushed, quiet and hurt. Without his armour, his truer shape was evident, less broad, but far more wiry. His damp hair clung to his back, creating pools of water which soaked through and made his shirt stick intimately to his back. But hidden was his face, pale and straight. The smooth ivory skin, stoic except for the tremble of his lips as his teeth clattered violently. In the shadow, the bright blue strong eyes were encircled with dark pouches. It was a side to Gourry which he had inadvertently shown her, but one which had always existed in everyone. A dependant, childlike sadness.   
  
Shaking herself from contemplation, Lina found that through Gourry's stillness she had lost concept of time. Stretching his legs out in front of him, Lina drew her hands back, when he moaned unintelligibly. His head slumped to the side, and he puffed breath as though in dull pain. Lina felt her throat closing, she hated seeing him like this. It was just as painful to watch, but she didn't know why it was tugging at her heartstrings in such a disturbing way. Gently easing his boots off, Lina found that the long thick socks he wore were soaked through. She pulled them off and he sighed somewhat thankfully, then his brow clouded again, as the momentary relief returned to a dull ache. Every piece of clothing he wore was drenched and she almost forgot about her own dampness because of her worry.  
  
After thoroughly divesting him of most of his garments, Lina felt herself staring hesitantly at his trousers, she'd resolved to roll them to his knees and let them dry, but she realised that they were taking an incredibly long time. She, herself was already dry and rather hot, but Gourry had developed a raging fever and tossed about slightly on the floor. Catching him before he toppled backwards, Lina realised she was leaning over Gourry, his face inches from her, his ragged and forced breath stirring primal emotions in her. Frightened by her own response to her companion's functions, she gently propped him against the foot of the bed. He was so peaceful even though he was trapped in a tempestuous nightmare world of illness, when she touched the bare skin of his neck and shoulders, his brow was ironed out. A calm mask spread over his face and his shallow breathing returned to it's normal rate. His arms and chest were packed with muscles which tensed and relaxed at her barest touch. Lina smiled at the dopey goof which he normally was. Usually that innocent face danced with a million thoughts he couldn't put into words and a million phrases he couldn't understand. She was so fond of him, even if he did tease her. He was so helpless in her tender grasp.  
  
Sighing she returned to the trouser dilemma. Stiffening her jaw, Lina decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. So pulling her cape from the stove she placed it over Gourry's lower region and tentively searched beneath the heavy cover, for his fly. In a few moments of struggling she managed to peel the sodden woollen-mix pants from his thick, muscular legs. So what now? Oh, his hair was still damp. She should try and dry it off.   
  
Tenderly placing herself behind him she placed him with his back to her, leaning against her chest. "Having small breasts does come in handy sometimes" She chuckled bitterly to herself. Then picking up a small handtowel from the bowl on the floor next to her she began to softly rub her fingers through his hair.   
  
In no time, his hair was fluffy and matted in her hands. His head had slumped forward, and pushing his hair over his shoulder, Lina felt herself stiffen at the sight of his broad supple back. He was so beautiful and she'd never given herself the chance to notice it before. Damn, she though, It must just be the light of the fire, surely.  
  
Alright. Done. And....now what? of course! Into bed with him! Lina's face drained slightly. He weighed a good bit more than she did, and she didn't fancy having to drag him, especially in his condition, and especially with nothing on his lower half. Regretfully she resorted to the only feasible method; She woke Gourry.  
  
"Gourry, come on wake up...we have to get you into the bed....come one wake up" She was being uncharacteristically sweet and caring to him. Well, she hardly ever got the chance to act around him properly when he was always spouting a lot of drivel and infuriating her. Okay yeah sure, it was cute, but cuteness had a limit when you lived with someone 24/7 and certainly when that cuteness was turned against you and your overly-small bust!  
  
His eyes sleepily flickered open and his body stiffened. His half-opened blue gems flashed with a sudden tender recognition but clouded again and began to roll back into their sockets. Not giving him the chance, she hauled him to his feet. As expected, the thick cloak obeyed gravity and Lina forced her eyes to the ceiling, a definite blush creeping over her cheeks. In the buff, Gourry followed her lead unconsciously and stumbled towards the warm confines of the bed. Lina pulled the heavy blanket up over his shoulders as he shivered and tossed, his brow fighting against an invisible force. It was going to be a long night.   
  
At around 2am, Lina's eyes forced themselves open with a jolt. Although she sat in a chair beside the bed it was only mere inches from the mattress itself. What had awoken her? Looking down through bleary eyes, she saw what looked like a pale hand grasping her thigh. Stiff with shock, Lina peered through the moonlight which replaced the smouldering ashes. A pair of eyes staring waveringly at her, frightened and fevered. It was Gourry. The look he was giving her, made her insides twist in sadness and the primary anger disappear.  
  
"L..Lina..I'm..so..c.c.cold" He stuttered out through clenched teeth.  
  
Her heart was brimming with pity, he was so childlike, his eyes pleading with her for something so elemental as heat. That was it bodyheat. She would get in beside him. So kicking her boots off her pulled back the covers and wriggled into the ample sized bed alongside him. But as she scraped his body, she realised his state of undress and cringingly began to withdraw. Suddenly his large still gloved hands clamped into her shoulders and thrust her into his chest. Blushing profusely, Lina was crushed in his great shivering arms. His chin clattered against her head, the chills snaking their way through his subtly convulsing form. Lina reached up and tenderly stroked his jaw, cooing softly into his neck, soothing him back to a deeper slumber. All at once he relaxed against her, and a light snoring soon ensued. Lina also relaxed, what harm could come from surrendering her tough exterior for some night. What a sweet surrender it was.  
  
  
A small chink of light forced it's way into her vision and she clamped her eyes tightly together again. Groaning, Lina Inverse, snuggled closer to the warm body beside her. Warm body?! Lina's eyes shot open again, and she found herself in the haven of Gourry's chest. He was towering above her, awake and relaxed  
  
"Good morning" He greeted in gruff but cheerful tones, she could feel vibrating against her cheek. "I'm feeling much better this morning" His cheeks turned a bright crimson as Lina stared up at him "Thanks for doing what you did last night..I uh...realised this morning" He subtly drew the bedclothes closer to his groin and Lina shuffled away slightly.  
  
She smiled nervously. She had spent the night wrapped in naked Gourry's arms, oh man did that sound bad! But at the same time, it had filled her, being so close to someone. Being so close you could feel their heartbeat against your chest and against your hands on their bare back. She had fallen asleep and slept as fitfully as she might ever.  
  
Gourry cleared his throat next to her. "Uh...Lina?" She, lost in her thoughts, had subconsciously turned an equally dazzling shade of red as her hair. Gourry was finding it hard to put words together when she was looking at him so beautifully. "I...well...I think that...I..."  
  
Lina looked at him seriously "I like looking after you" She interjected before he could say anything . Gourry looked at her, blankly, save his eyebrows which almost touched his hairline. Mustering her courage, Lina left her inhibitions and bolstered by the previous night's events reached her hand around Gourry's neck.  
  
He stared down at her, a mix of terror and expectancy burning in his clear eyes. Slowly Lina pulled his head towards her and leant up, meeting in the middle. Her eyelashes flitted before closing and she stroked his lips against hers so tenderly, before he too, pushed his wider against hers.  
  
Lina's brain flip-flopped, and Gourry's raced, but the only thing which could push it's way into his intelligible consciousness was simple.  
  
I should get wet more often!  
  
  
By  
Yamchas-big-pants  
  



End file.
